Apparatus for feeding and aligning sheet material



Oct. 25, 1932. F 5' FARLEY 1,883,889

AFPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND ALIGNING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Jan. 23. 1931 Z-Sheets-Sheet 1 u U wi INVENTOR. ancz'sS/T'af'ley,

F. S. FARLEY OcL 25, 1932.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND ALIGNING SHEET MATERIAL Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Francis SFfZez ATTORNEYS Filed Jan. 25. 1931 I .A xifwwwiniiwf@ik EN. n

han@ oa. 2s, 1932 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y FRANCIS S. FABLEY, F MENTON, NEW JERSEY, AS'BIGNOR T0 DANIEL MANSON SUTHERLAND, JB., 0F MOBRISVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA .winnares ron mmm; .um manure snaar namur.

minnen mea iguanas, 1931. serial No. nasse.

My invention relates to feeding and aligni.,e., counter-clockwise in Figs. I and II. The

ing sheet material, as for the purpose of presenting it properly to trimming and cutting saws, and the like. The invention is especially advantageous for dealing with insulation building board, homogeneous hardwood board, pa er, wood, and ber ulp board, veneers, an other such materia s; and I have hereinafter described and explained it with special reference to this use. Various advantages that can be realized through the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description hereinafter.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a plan view of an apparatus convenientlyadapted for and embodying the invention.

Fig. II 1s a side elevation, from the front of Fig. I, showing the apparatus with prothe stop 10, an

visions for delivering sheets thereto from above,'as from the discharge of a drier.

Fig. III is a fragmentary sectional view, taken as indicated by the line and arrows III-III in Fig. I.

In Figs. I and II, my feeding and aligning 'apparatus 4 is shown arranged like a table in front of a trimming and cutting equipment 5, comprising saws 6, 6, 6 driven by individual electric motors7, 7, 7 and located between pairs of suitably driven entrance and exit feed rolls 8, 8 and 9, 9, which denitely vcontrol the sheet S during the action of the saws thereon. My apparatus 4 acts to assure presentation of the sheet S to the entrance rolls 8, 8 in proper definite alignment under all circumstances. l

As shown in Fig. I, my feeding and aligning table 4 comprises a stop 10 for the e ge of the fiber sheet S, associated with means or devices 11 for sustaining the sheet and feeding it along, and concurrently pushing or ressing it against the sto 10. To minimize friction with the edge of t e sheet S, the stop 10 may consist of a series or line of upright rolls or rollers 12, preferably with stop walls 13 between them to prevent t e leading corner of a sheet S from catching and blocking against a roll 12. The feeding means 11 here shown consists of a multiplicity of rotary discs lying in lanes inclined somewhat to dJ revolving toward the stop,

discs 11 are mounted, at suitable intervals, on a series of shafts 14 extending oblique to the stop 10, and themselves suitably spaced apart. Thus each shaft .14 with its discs 11 in effect constitutes a roll oblique to the stop 10: however, the multiplicity of discs 11 presents important advantages over a series of mere ordinary, rolls, as will appear hereinafter. The roll formed by the discs 11 on each shaft 14 i's adapted to yield in the axial direction, byvirtue of the axially or laterally yielding capacity'of the discs, as hereinafter explained. As shown in Fig. I, the discs 11 on the several shafts 14 are arranged in rows lengthwise of .the table 4, paralleling the stop 10.

As the revolving discs 11 carry the sheet S along, they also press or crowd it over against the sto 10, thus bringing it to a definite position o alignment with respect to -the whole apparatus. At the front of -thejtable 4 is a feed device for passing the sheet S along to the cutting and trimming apparatus 5 while definitely maintaining its alignment, consisting of cooperating pairs of feed discs 15, 15, of the same resilient character as the discs 11, revolving in planes parallel to the stop 10, and lmounted on shafts 16, 16 extending at right angles tothe stop 10. As shown in Figs. I and II, the lower shaft 16 lis driven by a sprocket and chain connection 16a to the axis of the lower entrance roll 8 of the cutting and trimming apparatus 5. The ends of the upper shaft 16 are journalled in blocks 16?) in vertical ways 160 on the machine frame, and adjusting screws 16d serve to vary the pressure between the discs 15, 15 according to the thiclness and character of the sheet mate rial l As shown in Figs. II, and III, the feed shafts 14 are mounted in bearings 17 attached to the side members 18 of the machine frame. The stop rollers 12 are mounted on vertical axes (studs or spindles) 19 secured to the horizontal flanges of angle bars 20, and project through openings in the vertical flanges of these angle bars 20,-which vertical ianges 'nected together by a series of chain and sprocket connections 21 and are driven by an electric motor 22, through reduction gearing 23 and a chain and sprocket connection 24 to the front or left-hand shaft 14 (Figs. I and II). As shown in Fig. III, the feed discs 11 are mounted on the shafts 14 between flan 25, 26 suitably secured to the shafts. Pre erv ably, the discs 11 are of a resilientl yielding material that will adhere well b riction to a liber sheet S. The material t at I prefer for this purpose is sponge rubber such as is used for the cushion ac s of rubber stam s: it comes in sheets an inch thick from which the discs 11 can easily be cut. They can be cemented or vulcanized to the flanges 25, 26, or even simply clamped between them and held from turning b mere friction.

Fig. II shows a p urality of roll racks 30 arranged to feed sheets upon the table 4, obliquely downward and in the direction of rotation of the discs 11. These roll racks 30 may constitute the delivery of a drier or other apparatus in which sheets travel in superosition. The leading edges of the sheets rom the various roll racks 30 strike the table 4 at various positions in its length, and travel to the left, so that the sheets gradually come down flat on the table. Fi II shows one sheet S in the act vof doing t is,-its leading edge being at s. In the intervals between the rows or rolls of discs 11 on the several shafts 14, means are provided for receiving a downcoming (leading) sheet edge S when it first reaches the table 4 and guiding or carrying it along to the first row of .discs 11 in front of it, substantially or approximately tangential -to the peri heries of the discs 11:

' otherwise, a sheet mig t just happen to strike the table 4 between adjacent transverse rows of discs, and slip on downward between them. For this purpose, a number of arallel belts 32 are shown extending lengt wise of the table 4 between its longitudinal rows of discs 11. These belts 32 extend around pulleys 33 on shafts 34, 34 and 35 at the left and right of the machine, respectively. The u per runs of the belts 32 are supported by ro ls 36, 36, arranged in alternation with the shafts 14 and their discs 11. As shown in Fig.I, there are two sets or series of the rolls 36, 36 in the width of the table 4, with their axes or trunnions 37 mounted in bearings on the longitudinal frame members, and likewise two of the shafts 34, 34. Corresponding rolls 36, 36

in the two sets are otl'set relative to one another, as re uired by the inclination of the shafts 14 and t e two shafts 34, 34 are also offset.

l 7The revolving discs 11 carry the sheet S along toward the left. (Figs. I and II) continuously, and at the same time ush or crowd it over against the stop 10, there y eventually bringing it from a skew position such as shown in full lines in Fig. I to a position of definite alignment such as shown in dot and 1,saa,sse

dash lines. After the edge of the sheet S comes in contact with the stop 10 the margins of the discs 11 yield and defiect-sidewise (axially) under further thrust a ainst the stop, as shown in Fig. III, the discs ing sufficiently resilient (and at the saine time adhesive to the sheet) to propel the sheet forward and ive sidewalys at their upper periplieries w ile their ower peripheries are returning to the normal plane of the disc.'-

lHaving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A paratus of the character described for fee ing and aligning sheet material, comprising an aligning stop for the ed e of the material and a series of axially yielding rotar feed rolls extending oblique to said stop an revolvin toward it, so as to press the material against the stop as they carry it along, but yielding in the axial direction after the material comes against the stop.

2. A paratus of the character described for fee ing and aligning sheet material, comprising an aligning stop for the edge of the material, and a multiplicit of axially or laterally yielding resilient e ged rotary feed discs revolving toward the stop in planes inclined thereto, so as to press the material against the sto as they carry it along, but yielding and eflecting sidewise after the material comes a inst the stop.

3.l Apparatus o the character described for feeding and aligning sheet material, comprising a line of stop rolls for enga ing the ed e of the material, and a multi 4Iicit of axially or laterally yielding adherent edged rotary feed discs revolvin toward the series of stop rolls in planes inc ined thereto, so as to press the material against the stop rolls as they carry it along, ut yielding and defleeting sidewise after the material comes material, a series of shafts extending to one side of said stop oblique thereto, and revolving toward it, and a lurality of resilient feed discs on each shaft or carrying the material and pressing it against the stop, but yielding ,I and deilecting sidewise after the material comes against the stop.

5. Apparatus of the character described for feeding and aligning sheet material, comprising an aligning stop for the edge. of the material, a series of shafts extending to one side of said stop oblique thereto, and revolving toward itv and ya plurality of feed discs of sponge rubber on each shaft for carrying the material and pressing it against the stop.

6. Apparatus of the character described for feeding and aligning sheet material, comprising an aligning stop for the edge of the material, rows of vrotary feed discs at one side of said stop revolving toward it in planes inl clined to it, so as to press the material against the stop as they carry it along, and movable belts extending between the rows of discs.

7. Apparatus of the character described for feeding and aligning sheet material, comprising an aligning stop for the edge of the material, a series of shafts extending to one side of said stop oblique thereto, and revolving toward it, rows of feed discs on said shafts for carrying the material and pressing it against the stop, movable belts extending between the rows of discs, and series of supporting rolls for said belts between said shafts, the rolls of one series being oifset relative to the corresponding rolls of the adjacent series.

8. Apparatus of the character described for feeding and aligning sheet material, comprising an aligning stop for the edge of the material, a series of rotary feed rolls extending oblique to said stop and revolving toward it, means for feeding sheets from above obliquely down upon said series of rolls in their direction of revolution, and moving means for receiving the leading downcoming sheet edges between rolls and carrying them t'angentially to the rolls.

9. Apparatus of the character described for feeding and aligning sheet material, comprising a table of rows of rotary feed discs, means for feeding sheets from above obliquely down upon said table of discs, and movable belts extending between the rows of discs for receiving downcoming sheet edges between adjacent disc rows and carrying them tangentially to the discs.

10. Apparatus of the character described for feeding and aligning sheet material, comprising an aligning stop for the edge of the material, a table of rows of rotary feed discs revolving toward the stop in planes inclined thereto, means for feeding sheets from above obliquely down upon said table of discs, and movable belts extending between the rows of discs for receiving downcoming sheet edges between adjacent disc rows and carrying them tangentially to the discs.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Trenton, New Jersey, this 19 day of January, 1931.

FRANCIS S. FARLEY. 

